Project Associate [NPSA-6] with Insurance & Risk Finance Facility, Tripartite Agreement Project

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility

The collaboration between the insurance industry and the development sector has grown significantly over the last five years. Key initiatives, such as the Insurance Development Forum, Insurance Resilience Global Partnership and the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, have evolved into significant policy and standard setting partnerships, bringing together countries, the development sector, and the private and mutual/cooperative sectors of industry. The Tripartite Agreement between the German Government, UNDP and Insurance Development Forum (and its private sector members) is a flagship example of such transformative partnerships. Increasingly, these partnerships are moving beyond policy to programming, with a strong focus on not only delivering insurance and risk financing solutions to countries and communities, but also on long-term transformational change of insurance markets.

• UNDP’s growing work on insurance and risk financing manifests in our flagship initiative called the Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (the Facility) which supports UNDP Country Offices and country partners worldwide. This work covers a range of critical areas where insurance and risk transfer solutions and collaboration with the industry can add significantly to achieving and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.)
• Covering inclusive insurance, sovereign risk financing, insurance investments, natural capital, UNDP will work towards developing and delivering insurance solutions together with countries and communities, as well as collaborating with partners to transform insurance markets through enhancing legislation, regulation and institutional capacity.
• Within the framework of the Tripartite Agreement between, the Insurance Development Forum (IDF) and the German government, UNDP has conducted a diagnostic study on inclusive insurance and risk finance for Bangladesh. The study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive financing framework to promote inclusive insurance and national disaster risk financing strategies to support the different phases of disaster risk management. It also identifies potential interventions and support required to create an enabling environment and to facilitate market development for inclusive insurance and risk finance in Bangladesh and indicates opportunities to integrate risk transfer instruments such as insurance into ex-ante and ex-post risk financing.
• UNDP-IRFF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will enable small-scale producers to adapt and become more resilient to climate change by building their financial resilience through risk transfer and insurance. Spanning five years, the investment starts in five countries in Africa and Asia to foster public-private partnerships that scale up agricultural insurance, coupled with a global component that will mobilize additional resources for small-scale producers’ resilience, supported by research, evidence and advocacy. The initiative will enable inclusive agricultural transformation through the expansion of agricultural insurance by improving country capacity and integrating climate insurance into public policies, increasing risk coverage and strengthening the global interaction of stakeholders supporting small-scale producers’ resilience.
• Abovementioned projects has close collaborations with global and regional programmes related to financial resilience and climate change mitigation and initiatives namely Equanomics, LoGIC and GCF. Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, other relevant line ministries and development partners (WFP, SDC) are the key stakeholders for these national and regional programmes. The Project Associate will deal with the relevant financial and administrative matters in relation to the programmes of the climate portfolio of the Resilience and Inclusive Growth Cluster in an effective and accountable manner, complying with UNDP guidelines and reporting requirements. The Project Associate is expected to perform the relevant duties in a coherent manner to enhance the synergies and linkages among the global and regional programmes of the climate portfolio of the UNDP and ensure efficient use of resources while implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key functions of Project Associate are:

• Support in overall financial, administrative and logistics managements of the projects;
• Support for implementation of project activities;
• Participating in knowledge-building and sharing activities;

Support in overall financial, administrative and logistics managements of the project;

• Oversee all day-to-day administrative, budgetary and financial management of the project;
• Provide support to prepare annual and quarterly work plans and budgets in consultation with Programme Officer;
• Assess the budget heads and ensure its expenditure is as per the approved annual/quarterly work plans; Maintain expenditure statement and support in budget processes;
• Review all payments/claims of staff and other service providers and ensure on time settlement of claims as per UNDP rules;
• Assist Project Management in settlements of DSA and other claims of staff and other service providers as per UNDP rules;
• Prepare financial advance requests to be submitted to Donors/UN agencies on quarterly basis and maintain bank reconciliation, financial transaction and certification of expenditure reports;
• Ensure all Quantum related transaction i.e. budget analysis, upload budget, monitor project budget, and enter necessary in Quantum etc.
• Verify Combine Delivery Report (CDR) for Certification;
• Prepare payment request for all the financial transaction and process payment request including to UNDP country office;
• Support any other relevant tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Support for implementation of project activities;

• Follow up on the activities and monitor advance balances of resource disbursed, verify availability of funds for project activities and recommend for changes in budget line if needed. Draft budget for budget revision;
• Monitor fund disbursement and adjustment of partner organization; when needed.
• Assist Project Management in day to day administrative support for smooth operation of the project;
• Ensure the proper maintenance of the record keeping and filing system related to administration, logistics, equipment and vehicles of the project;
• Supervise and maintain equipment, vehicles and assets of the Project for security and proper functioning; if required assist transfer of title of assets on behalf of UNDP;
• Ensure that proper inventory of all components of vehicles are maintained and checked frequently;
• Ensure full compliance of UN rules and regulations, policies and strategies on travel management and ensure that vehicles are used in accordance with UN rules and regulations and that vehicle usage date is correctly recorded;
• Assist staff evaluation, contract extension, recruitment & other HR related issues;
• Maintenance of proper filing system for HR records and documents;
• Assist Project Management in contract management;
• Oversee the management of various contracts with implementing partners—government entities, NGOs, UN agencies, etc.;
• Support to plan, organize and coordinate high-level meetings, workshops and result sharing/dissemination events involving appropriate stakeholders;
• Assist international, short-term consultants by organizing their travel schedules, arranging meetings with different stakeholders, and book hotel accommodations.

Participating in knowledge-building and sharing activities;

• Participate in the training for the operations/projects staff on financial procedures;
• Provide training to project staff on the administrative and financial procedures;
• Identify scope of collaborations/synersgies with other projects/programmes;
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education is required; or
• University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) in Accounting, Finance/Business Administration, Public Administration or equivalent field will be given due consideration. but it is not a requirement

Experience:

• Minimum six (06) years (with Secondary education) or three (03) years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in working in Project Finance and Administration of UN-related projects/ international development organizations/reputed multinational organizations is required.

Required skills:

• Demonstrated ability to use MS Office packages;
• Experience in formulating and managing budgets, contributions and investments, e transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery is required.
• Experience in project oversight functions, including audit, accurate and thorough risk assessment is required.

Desired skills:

• Experience and knowledge of ERP (Quantum/Atlas/SAP) will be treated as an advantage.
• Experience and knowledge in general administration, Procurement (PPR), govt. authorities will be treated as an extra advantage.
• Experience and strong understanding of budgeting and the UN/GoB accounting system—candidates familiar with UNDP and government administrative, program, and financial procedures could be added advantage.
• Finance Certification Management would be an advantage.

 Required Language(s):

• English and Bangla is required.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/19443